Siberia has experienced a wild stretch of weather over the past month
By
Maura Kelly, AccuWeather meteorologist
Published Jun 10, 2020 12:25 PM EDT
Scientists reveal that Earth had the hottest May on record last month and 2020 is on pace to be one of the top 10 hottest years in history.
After an early start to summer across much of Siberia, winter weather made a dramatic return across southern parts of the region during the first days of June.
Meteorological summer began on June 1, but people across western Siberia have reported signs of summer since the middle of May. Many record highs were set across the region last month, and one town above the Arctic Circle set a daily record high on May 22.
Residents reported orchids blooming in the Krasnoyarsk region as well as being able to harvest berries and mushrooms in the Novosibirsk region weeks ahead of schedule, according to The Siberian Times. Heavy thunderstorms in recent weeks also caused several state of emergency declarations to be issued by separate districts in Krasnoyarsk as flooding destroyed buildings and washed away three bridges, the Times reported. Tornadoes have also been reported recently in Siberia, but the Times didn't specify where.
Meanwhile, areas in south-central Russia reported accumulating snow to start the month.
Khakassia, nicknamed "Warm Siberia" due to the mild climate compared to locations farther north in Siberia, reported enough snow to cover roads and impact travel in early June.
After a couple of storm systems kept cool, unsettled conditions in place across Siberia through the end of the week, a brief warm and dry spell is in store for this weekend.
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This wild swing in weather across Siberia comes after the world had its warmest May on record.
According to AFP, while March to May temperatures across northern Canada, northern Europe, Australia, southern Asia and the eastern United States were lower than normal for that time of year, above-normal temperatures in other parts of the planet far outweighed these chilly conditions.
"Temperatures soared 10 degrees Celsius (18 degrees Fahrenheit) above average last month in Siberia, home to much of Earth's permafrost, as the world experienced its warmest May on record," the European Union's climate monitoring network said last week.
The above image shows observed temperature anomalies, or differences from normal, from April 1 to May 23. Much of Siberia experienced temperatures more than 7 C (13 F) above normal for that time of year. (Photo/NOAA)
The record-high temperatures in May followed a record-breaking start to 2020 across Russia. Temperatures from January to April across the country averaged about 6 degrees Celsius (11 degrees Fahrenheit) above normal.
This prolonged period of heat has led to the melting of permafrost across northern Siberia. Permafrost is a permanently frozen layer of soil that has been frozen for a long period of time, sometimes several thousand years.
This layer is stable enough for infrastructure to be built on; however, if the permafrost melts, it could be disastrous for any structures in the area.
The satellite image shows the mitigation and cleanup efforts after the oil spill in Norlisk, Russia, with north pointing in the direction of the lower right-hand corner. (Satellite image ©2020 Maxar Technologies)
This is reportedly the case in the industrial city of Norilsk, Russia, where a fuel tanker toppled earlier this month, spilling 21,000 tonnes of diesel fuel across the area and contaminating the nearby Ambarnaya River, which flows into Lake Pyasino, the Times reported.
The incident happened at a power plant run by Norilsk Nickel, considered the world's leading high-grade nickel and palladium producer, according to the company website.
Norilsk Nickel said cleanup efforts are underway following the spill. "The accident was caused by a sudden sinking of supports of the storage tank which served accidents free for more than 30 years," the company said in a statement.
Nearly 700 people and over 260 pieces of equipment are involved in the cleanup. The company said crews are working around the clock to remove contaminated soil and pump out the polluted water.
The BBC reported that environmentalists and officials say "it's the worst accident of its kind in modern times in Russia's Arctic region," and there are fears the fuel could spread into the Arctic Ocean.
Keep checking back on AccuWeather.com and stay tuned to the AccuWeather Network on DirecTV, Frontier and Verizon Fios.
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News / Weather News
Siberia has experienced a wild stretch of weather over the past month
By Maura Kelly, AccuWeather meteorologist
Published Jun 10, 2020 12:25 PM EDT
Scientists reveal that Earth had the hottest May on record last month and 2020 is on pace to be one of the top 10 hottest years in history.
After an early start to summer across much of Siberia, winter weather made a dramatic return across southern parts of the region during the first days of June.
Meteorological summer began on June 1, but people across western Siberia have reported signs of summer since the middle of May. Many record highs were set across the region last month, and one town above the Arctic Circle set a daily record high on May 22.
Residents reported orchids blooming in the Krasnoyarsk region as well as being able to harvest berries and mushrooms in the Novosibirsk region weeks ahead of schedule, according to The Siberian Times. Heavy thunderstorms in recent weeks also caused several state of emergency declarations to be issued by separate districts in Krasnoyarsk as flooding destroyed buildings and washed away three bridges, the Times reported. Tornadoes have also been reported recently in Siberia, but the Times didn't specify where.
Meanwhile, areas in south-central Russia reported accumulating snow to start the month.
Khakassia, nicknamed "Warm Siberia" due to the mild climate compared to locations farther north in Siberia, reported enough snow to cover roads and impact travel in early June.
After a couple of storm systems kept cool, unsettled conditions in place across Siberia through the end of the week, a brief warm and dry spell is in store for this weekend.
CLICK HERE FOR THE FREE ACCUWEATHER APP
This wild swing in weather across Siberia comes after the world had its warmest May on record.
According to AFP, while March to May temperatures across northern Canada, northern Europe, Australia, southern Asia and the eastern United States were lower than normal for that time of year, above-normal temperatures in other parts of the planet far outweighed these chilly conditions.
"Temperatures soared 10 degrees Celsius (18 degrees Fahrenheit) above average last month in Siberia, home to much of Earth's permafrost, as the world experienced its warmest May on record," the European Union's climate monitoring network said last week.
The above image shows observed temperature anomalies, or differences from normal, from April 1 to May 23. Much of Siberia experienced temperatures more than 7 C (13 F) above normal for that time of year. (Photo/NOAA)
Related:
The record-high temperatures in May followed a record-breaking start to 2020 across Russia. Temperatures from January to April across the country averaged about 6 degrees Celsius (11 degrees Fahrenheit) above normal.
This prolonged period of heat has led to the melting of permafrost across northern Siberia. Permafrost is a permanently frozen layer of soil that has been frozen for a long period of time, sometimes several thousand years.
This layer is stable enough for infrastructure to be built on; however, if the permafrost melts, it could be disastrous for any structures in the area.
The satellite image shows the mitigation and cleanup efforts after the oil spill in Norlisk, Russia, with north pointing in the direction of the lower right-hand corner. (Satellite image ©2020 Maxar Technologies)
This is reportedly the case in the industrial city of Norilsk, Russia, where a fuel tanker toppled earlier this month, spilling 21,000 tonnes of diesel fuel across the area and contaminating the nearby Ambarnaya River, which flows into Lake Pyasino, the Times reported.
The incident happened at a power plant run by Norilsk Nickel, considered the world's leading high-grade nickel and palladium producer, according to the company website.
Norilsk Nickel said cleanup efforts are underway following the spill. "The accident was caused by a sudden sinking of supports of the storage tank which served accidents free for more than 30 years," the company said in a statement.
Nearly 700 people and over 260 pieces of equipment are involved in the cleanup. The company said crews are working around the clock to remove contaminated soil and pump out the polluted water.
The BBC reported that environmentalists and officials say "it's the worst accident of its kind in modern times in Russia's Arctic region," and there are fears the fuel could spread into the Arctic Ocean.
Keep checking back on AccuWeather.com and stay tuned to the AccuWeather Network on DirecTV, Frontier and Verizon Fios.
Report a Typo